Sunday, 29 January 2012

We all want to be successful at what we do (winning!); it’s human nature, and it’s what drives us. Some are more driven than others, and consequently are more successful. Some just have better timing or luck, and they are also more successful.

But one of the things that nearly all successful people have in common is that they provide something of value.

I love examples, so let’s use one…

Imagine you are buying a car. The salesman gives you a choice between a nice shiny roadster that doesn’t run, and a plain sedan with low mileage, lots of options and a great warranty. Which car are you going to buy?

I’d wager most of you went with the sedan, because it actually works. You’ll be able to drive that sedan for years and you will get your money’s worth from it. There is a lot of value in that sedan.

That’s what your customers are looking for: things that work and provide value. They want to improve their lives and make them easier.

Sure, you can make a bit of money selling snake oil (or broken down roadsters). You might even be able to make a lot of money...but you will always be looking for new customers, because nobody wants to be a sucker.

If you provide something that truly helps someone out, that improves their life and is of value to them, you won’t even need to look for customers! They will come to you. And they will keep coming back, because they want what you have.

Provide something that is truly of value, and success will come…

Now I'm going to leave you with a challenge. I want you to take a look at what you do, whatever it is, and improve the value of it. You can make a big change or a small change, that's up to you, but make it better than it is right now. Then I want you to come back here and post what you did. Let's see what you guys can do!

Sunday, 22 January 2012

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Action. It’s what gets things done.

Like Theodore Roosevelt said, the worst thing you can do is nothing. Chances are you are reading this blog because you are trying to learn what you need to do. That is excellent, because if you don’t know what you need to do you are going to have a hard time doing it...but don’t get caught up in the learning.

Learn by doing.

If you don’t know what to do, jump in. You’ll figure it out. If you do it wrong, you’ll survive, and you’ll learn from your mistakes.

There are thousands of things you can do to make money, and I can’t tell you which one to choose. You might be good at all of them, or none at all. That’s not really relevant, because I do believe, like Theodore Roosevelt said, that doing nothing is the absolute worst thing you can do.

I am a man of action, and I have a hard time sitting by on the sidelines and doing nothing. I have a lot of scars to show for the wrong things I have done, but I have also learned some important lessons from them.

Now, don't do something stupid and get yourself into trouble. Look before you jump, but jump just the same. If you don’t, you will be doing the worst thing.

Sunday, 15 January 2012

I don't know about you, but I am absolutely sick of hearing about all of these "get rich quick" schemes. They're nothing new; they've been around a lot longer than me or any of you reading this. You'd think people we would have it figured out by now, but the thought of easy money is so enticing. It's like when your mom told you to stay out of the cookie jar but left it on the edge of the counter. How can you resist those delicious, delicious cookies...

Sadly, as we all know too well, it is a lot harder to get money than it was to steal mom's cookies. It takes hard work to make money (but don't let that stop you). Once you know how, it's as easy as anything else you do. But it is very rarely quick.

I won't try to sell myself as some sort of super guru, because I'm not. I'm no more special than you are. But that's why you will be so successful if you follow me. I have learned a lot of skills that ordinary people like you and me need to run a small business and make a good 2nd income, or even replace your income. You don't need to be a diva or a prodigy to apply what I am going to teach you in my posts. I want to share what I've learned and help you to be successful in your business too.

You can expect a regular weekly post from me on a variety of business and money related subjects. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'm here to help and I will answer the best I can. I'll take requests too, so if there's something you want to know about, let me know.

I truly believe that no one gets to the top on their own. Follow me and we'll get there together.

Sunday, 8 January 2012

My given name, Matthew, is one of the most common male names in North America. There are nearly 1 million Matthews in the United States alone. My surname, Brown, is even more common, and according to wikipedia is currently the 4th most common surname in the US.

What all of this means, is that there are a lot of Matt Browns out there. As you can imagine, this makes for some humorous encounters. I once had a visit with my Doctor and then to the lab for some blood work. The kind lady at the lab looked at the paperwork, looked at me and said “You’re not 14 years old, are you?” I don’t think you want to know what the visit was about, but let’s just hope, for that kids’ sake, that somebody at the Doctor’s office realized the mistake.

I am still waiting for the day that some other Matt Brown commits a heinous crime and I get arrested for it by mistake. Me: “No, I’m innocent! You want the other Matt Brown!” Police officer: “Right…”

One of my dreams has always been to work for myself. I have tried my hand at a few different businesses, and I have learned a thing or two (despite a bruise here and there). I currently work full time and have 2 successful part-time businesses on the go (an electrical contracting business and a yard care business). I now know very well what works and what doesn’t. As you can see by my full time job, I have not yet become an “entrepreneurial guru”, but I am very good at keeping my little companies going, and I want to help you become successful too. My goal in the near future is to become my own full-time boss, and to help you towards whatever your business goals are.

Take a look around, read my articles, leave some comments, and please feel free to ask any questions. No need to be lonely when we reach the top, so follow me!